Sleep Apnea & Snoring
Sleep apnea is an illness where your breathing periodically stops throughout the night while sleeping and those who have severe sleep apnea may stop breathing as much as 100 times in a minute. Sleep apnea causes you to wake up when you stop breathing, albeit it is usually for a brief time, but the constant waking up can deprive you of a good night’s rest. If you continuously wake up not refreshed, feeling groggy, sleepy and fatigued then you make have sleep apnea. Those who snore during their sleep are susceptible to this condition and it is recommended that you see your general dentist first.
Snoring While Sleeping
Snoring occurs because the person’s breathing is obstructed due to a number of reasons, but one main concern is the jaw sitting back too far causing your mouth and tongue to slightly obstruct your airway. In many cases, snoring is benign, but it can possibly be an indication of obstructive sleep apnea along with morning headaches, moodiness, irritability, daytime sleepiness, choking, gasping or snorting during sleep as well as having problems concentrating.
Treatments for Sleep Apnea & Snoring
A good night’s rest is essential to one’s mental and emotional well-being. Furthermore, sleep apnea can increase the risk of serious health problems, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes. That is why it is important for people with dental sleep apnea to seek treatment as soon as possible.
Oral appliance therapy, like dental nightguards, is one of the most commonly used sleep apnea treatments. There are three types of appliances that can be used for oral appliance therapy, a mandibular advancement appliance, tongue retaining appliance and palatal lifting devices. A mandibular advancement appliance works by advancing the lower jaw forward, which prevents the airway from closing. It also helps prevent one from snoring while sleeping.
A tongue-retaining device holds the tongue forward, and a palatal lifting device lifts a drooping soft palate. Oral appliance therapy is one of the most effective sleep apnea treatments. In fact, it is estimated that 85 to 90 percent experience relief after getting oral appliance therapy.
